Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Disney/Pixar Cars characters. The only one I own is my '57 Chevy Bel Air, Helen O'Halloran/Chevrolet (My dad has one like her – yay!).

PS - I have seen Cars about 20 times. I had the DVD one minute after Target opened on November 7. Obsessing? Definately, but it's fantastic! Enjoy the fic!

Chapter 1 - Getting Away from it All

She was running. From what, she wasn't really sure, but she had decided to get away from everything she had known. A racehorse trainer in Kentucky, Helen O'Halloran had gotten tired of the rat race of living in the city. She decided that a change of scenery was all she needed, and entrusted the care of her farm to a neighbor. She loaded up her car with only the essentials, withdrew money from the bank, and picked a spot on the map. Instead of heading to Ireland to seek out her kin, Helen chose to head out West, and hoped that no one would find her.

Helen had a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air hot rod that she had restored by herself. It was a project that she had sweated blood over, but had been worth it in the long run. The car was a formidable drag racer, and occasionally was seen at the local drag strip. Helen had a bond with the vehicle, probably because it had been something to keep her mind off the fact that her parents were dead. And they had died only a few weeks after Helen had turned 18, a fact that haunted Helen to the present day. The Chevy was almost like a friend, and would carry her anywhere she wanted to go.

Helen made her way from Kentucky into Indiana, and decided that it would be prudent to stay on the lesser traveled roads. So she got onto Route 66 and decided to drive as far as she could. She stopped only for gas, and occasionally to sleep. She found that Route 66 was everything that she had heard it would be – only a little outdated, as most traveled interstates nowadays. She wondered what stories some places would be able to tell – her digital camera would be full by the end of this trip.

Helen was contemplating what she was going to do when she got back to Kentucky. She was already dreading going back. True, it was good money, but what good was money unless you were happy? Of course, Helen was always happy when she was around the horses, but horse racing was a very vain sport. It was all about winning, and there wasn't a middle ground to it. You were either a winner or a loser. And although Helen's horses weren't losers, they certainly weren't the champions that made it into the record books.

Helen found herself getting more and more depressed about her situation. She would miss her horses, but aside from that, Kentucky was slowly fading from her memory as she made her way farther down route 66. She finally needed a day-long break from driving, and stopped in Flagstaff. She stayed in a cheesy motel, and slept all day. When she awoke the next morning, she paid her bill, grabbed breakfast, and continued to drive. Her '57 Chevy was doing great, and hummed along as they crossed into California. Helen had never been to California, and was looking forward to the visit.

It wasn't until Helen started reaching the more desolate parts of Route 66 in California that things started to feel weird. She had missed her chance of a hotel for several hundred miles, and had begun to think that it was stupid to not have stopped. Her eyes drooped, and she was suffering from a case of highway hypnosis. She kept shaking herself to keep awake, splashed cold water onto her face, and tried out several loud CDs. None of the methods worked, and she just kept getting sleepier.

And to top it all off, it started to rain. Fat drops pounded her vehicle, and Helen groaned. This was not how her road trip was supposed to turn out. Helen was trying to decide whether to keep sticking it out, or whether to just stop on the side of the road. There wasn't anyone else on the road, and Helen couldn't help but feel a little creeped out at the thought of sleeping on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. The rain came down upon the earth in great, heavy sheets. Lightning occasionally flashed across the sky, followed by rumbling thunder. It was a night to be inside, watching TV, reading, or sleeping. It was not a night suitable for driving, especially along a particularly isolated road in the middle of nowhere.

Helen continued to drive, but she found it harder to see. The rain kept coming down harder and harder, and she almost felt…as if the rain was actually hitting her in the face. But that was impossible, it was just her imagination. She tried to concentrate, but she couldn't hold the wheel, because her hands were sopping wet. Helen was starting to grow concerned about the situation. Something funny was going on, and Helen had heard stories about people going nuts on back roads like this. She tried to shake it off, but a tingling sensation was running through her body. She gasped loudly, and heard the car rev its mighty engine. Or rather, she felt herself rev her engine.

Helen blinked her eyes a few times to clear her head. She sighed. "I'm overreacting, the notion of me being a car…highway hypnosis…" Helen laughed at herself. She had quite the imagination sometimes. She laughed into the rain, and suddenly got a mouthful of rainwater. Helen spat it out, and slammed on her brakes. She suddenly began hyperventilating. Her engine was purring loudly beneath her hood, and was causing the rest of her body to vibrate with panic.

Helen wasn't sure what was going on, but she didn't like it. Not one bit.

Ok, so we've got the foundation of the story. What's going to happen to our dear friend Helen? I think we can all take a guess :D Please read and review, it's my first fic, so take it easy on me, for pete's sake!